Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

When you first arrived at the Republic City, you felt a shiver down your spine. You were excited to discover the city and meet new people, but you were also nervous since you have never been to such a place. You were raised in the Fire Nation, where you lived with your father for some time. When he realized that you were a waterbender just like your mother, he sent you to the Southern Pole, where you were trained mainly by Kya, and occasionally by Katara for years, making you one of the best waterbenders of the Southern Tribe. You have visited your father from time to time, but mostly you two communicated through letters.

When Korra was 15, she demanded The White Lotus to grant her some freedom, complaining that she didn’t even have a friend. The White Lotus, thinking that you would be good company for her, talked to Katara and introduced you to Korra. You guys became friends and stayed close friends for over two years. The White Lotus also encouraged you two to exercise together, sometimes even dueling.

When she made the decision to move to The Republic City, she also asked you to come with her. You accepted this offer, having no one in the North Pole to stay for and not wanting to leave her alone, you moved to The Republic City with her. You two were given rooms across from each other, and your daily routine continued here. You two woke up early and exercised, but except for these early morning exercises, you had nothing to do while Korra meditated and practiced air-bending. You filled your free time with helping around the air temple, or hanging out with Tenzin’s kids and sometimes joining them in their meditations, but you felt like you were just passing time and doing nothing. A couple of days went like this, until one day you heard a knock on your door. You were sitting on your bed when Tenzin entered the room. He smiled and greeted you, sitting at the end of your bed.

-I hope you got used to here, Katoka.

-I would say I did, thanks to you and your hospitality, Master Tenzin.

You smiled and Tenzin looked satisfied enough with your answer, then he continued.

-You are a good person, and a good friend to Korra. I think you influence her positively.

You smiled at his kind words.

-I want to talk to you about something. I recently realized that you have a lot of free time on your hands, and you are a powerful bender. If you would be interested in it, I could fix you a job at the Council. Of course, if you wouldn’t like to, it’s totally fine and I want you to know that there is absolutely no pressure-

-Oh, I would love to, Master Tenzin. I feel useless sitting around the air temple all day, it would actually be amazing.

Tenzin smiled at your excitement, nodding slowly.

-Then I will wait for you in the front yard tomorrow.

-Thank you so much for your kind offer.

You smiled softly as he got out of the room. You felt relieved to be able to do something useful with your time, and you were thankful for Tenzin for making this offer.

 

That night, Tenzin knocked on your door again.

-Come in.

You were confused when he entered since you expected Korra to come in. It was rather late and you did not even think it would be him. Tenzin did not seem happy, standing at the door as he talked.

-Hi Katoka, I didn’t mean to bother you at such an hour but I was wondering if you had seen Korra. She is not in her room and I thought she would have been here.

-Uh, no I did not see her till the airbending practice earlier. Maybe she is outside, meditating?

-I think it’s highly unlikely of her.

Tenzin answered, frustrated. You stood up from your bed, putting on some formal clothes.

-I could help you look for her, I am sure she is somewhere here. And Tenzin-

He gazed at you once he heard his name. You always called him Master Tenzin, so he was a bit taken aback

-You are not a bad teacher, Korra did not mean it either. I am sorry for that.

Tenzin smiled softly.

-Thank you.

He waited for you at the door. You grabbed your coat and joined him. He then led you to the garden, where the White Lotus guards were gathered.

-I couldn’t find Korra in her room, did any of you see her?

Then the radio announced that the Avatar was at a Pro-bending tournament. Tenzin looked furious as he turned his back, swooshing his red cloak. He headed to the shore where the boat is, and you followed him.

-Katoka, I could deal with it, I bothered you more than enough tonight.

-It’s alright, I am not bothered. Plus, you would get there way faster since I could help with the boat.

You smiled.

-You seem to forget that I am a waterbender and we are surrounded by water. You could use my help.

-Thank you.

Tenzin said in a very low voice. You smiled as you got onto the boat, waterbending your way through.

-And you seem like you might murder Korra, I cannot let that happen.

You added teasingly, and you managed to win a small ‘hmph’ from Tenzin. Once you arrived, he went straight to Korra, saying that we are going. She refused since the round was not over yet. Tenzin was fuming with rage, and he was ready to storm out of the stadium but you interrupted.

-Perhaps we could watch it a little, we came all this way.

-Oh, no I won’t stand here and watch some bullshit “sport”-

His sentence was left unfinished as he realized Korra’s movements. He dropped everything and started watching as you chuckled.

-She is doing it! She is doing the airbending movements I taught her!

-I told you that you were a great teacher! But- weren’t we going back to the boat?

You asked teasingly. Tenzin was way too excited about the fact that he managed to teach something to the young avatar that he just carelessly waved his hand.

-Nah, we could watch a little longer.

You laughed, and the evening passed nicely. Once you arrived back at the air temple, you went into your room and changed into your nightgowns. You were ready to go to bed when you heard a knock on your door.

-Okay, Tenzin, now you are bothering me.

You called out. Korra opened the door and stood at the doorway.

-May I come in?

-Yeah, of course. I thought you were Tenzin. Is everything okay?

-Yeah, I just wanted to chat.

You smiled as she walked over. You patted the place next to you on your bed and she sat down.

-I apologized to Tenzin.

Her eyes were on the floor, her head facing down.

-That’s good news.

-He mentioned that you looked after me, and helped him today. I wanted to thank you for that.

She raised her head to look at you, a soft smile on her lips.

-No problem, you would have done the same for me.

You smiled as you slightly dodged her with your elbow.

-I also joined the Fire Ferrets permanently.

You smiled.

-That’s great news! You were amazing today, we stayed and watched you. But- I am sure Tenzin was not happy with these news.

She laughed.

-Yeah, no he didn’t seem satisfied. He also mentioned that he was gonna find you a job at the council tomorrow.

-Yeah, I am excited about that. At least I will be doing something, and it’s an opportunity to get to know the city better.

Korra smiled as she stood up.

-I shouldn’t hold you up late, or Tenzin won’t be happy tomorrow morning. I have to exercise for the tournament in the morning, so I guess I’ll see you tomorrow evening?

-Yeah, see you tomorrow.

-Good night.

With that, Korra left the room and closed the door behind her.

Chapter Text

The next day you were ready at the main door just in time. When Tenzin saw you there, ready to go, he smiled and lightly joked.

-I am glad that Korra and you are not very alike in some aspects.

You smiled softly at his words, and followed him to the bison.

Once you arrived at the Council, Tenzin led you to an office.

-You are going to file these papers, and take them to the person they are addressed to. I know you are overqualified for this but this was the only job they had available.

-No no, it’s fine. I am glad that I got to do something.

You smiled.

-Thanks again.

Tenzin gave a reassuring smile as he left you to do your job, going directly to the main hall where his meeting is held. You got the hang of the job pretty quickly, actually enjoying the process. You continued on with the paperwork for some time, until the lights went out suddenly. You looked around, confused, as some footsteps were heard throughout the corridor. You grabbed a torch from the drawer in your office, and got out carefully looking around.

There were some lights coming from the end of the corridor but you couldn’t see who was there. You looked around for some water, and you were relieved to see a fountain flowing along the sides of the corridor. You were alert, listening to every sound. You couldn’t see anyone, but there were some sounds coming from afar. You slowly and cautiously approached the voices, and when you turned the corner you saw two men in black suits attacking someone. The guy was trying to defend himself, he was an earthbender and he was throwing rocks to the attackers, but he was not very successful.

You moved on instinct, you dropped the torch as you could see them in the faint light, and attacked them with water. They were confused, they looked behind only to see you standing there. They turned to attack you, and you grabbed more water, tangling it through their feet and turning it into ice. They looked down as they couldn’t move, and tried to break the ice with their weapons. You bent more water, pinning them to the wall and turning the water into ice again.

They were no longer a threat, but there were definitely more of them. The guy you saved ran away, and you moved towards the faint light. There were screams echoing through the halls, and you wondered where Tenzin was, or if he was okay.

As you approached the light, the sounds became louder. You saw a very crowded group of attackers discussing which way to go. You couldn’t fight them all, and you were stunned with fear.

Then, you felt someone grab you and drag you back into the shadows. You felt your backside pressed against his chest and legs. His big hand covered your mouth, hindering you from screaming for help. You felt him leaning to a wall as he stabilized himself, firmly holding you down. You looked down, his other hand was on the side of your waist pinning your hands to your side, the coldness of his hand sank through the fabric of your clothing. Something caught your attention at that point, he was wearing water tribe clothes. You lowered your guard a little, and he leaned into your ear, whispering.

-Calm down, they are gonna find us.

You felt his breath on your ear, you tried to calm yourself down as he cautiously lowered his hand from your mouth. You let out a soft breath as he gave you some space to breathe. You still felt the coldness of his hands on your face and on your waist. As you gathered yourself, you looked up to his face.

He was from the water tribe, he had long brown hair that was divided into three braids, and he had piercing blue eyes. He was looking to the left, to the direction of the attackers, looking out for any movement. You looked around, trying to understand where he brought you, and you realized that you were at a very narrow part of the hall. The attackers couldn’t see you there, but the narrowness of the corridor forced you to stand close to this stranger. He was taller than you, towering you as his shadow fell onto you. In the dim light you could barely see his features.

He finally looked down at you, whispering.

-I don’t think they have seen us. Are you alright?

-I am.

You managed to say.

-I saw you vanquishing those two equalists, you are a powerful bender.

-Equalists? Who are they, why are they attacking the Council?

-They are anti-benders. They want equality, in every sense.

A loud noise came from the left, you both hastily turned to that side. He turned back to you again.

-They are splitting, one group is coming this way. We could defeat them.

You took your guard as you got out of the shadows, getting ready to attack. As they ran towards you two, you bent some water, knocking two of them out.

You grabbed more water, rapidly attacking to the new-comers. The man was a waterbender too, and he was not bad himself. Five of the equalists came towards you, trying to attack with their weapons. You smashed one of them to the ground, you pushed back another one. One of them came really close and started throwing fists. You felt a stinging pain in your left arm, and as the other two attackers ran towards you. You didn’t see them as you were distracted with your arm, it felt like you couldn’t use it. Once you raised your head you saw the attackers, ready to wound you, when an ice wall formed in front of them. You looked at the man, and smiled.

-Thank you.

You saw him smile as well. There were two attackers left now, and one of them had some sort of an electric weapon. He rushed forward, and forced the weapon on your ally’s chest. He screamed in pain, which made you get into action. You grabbed some water, turned them into ice stalactites, and sent them forward. It ripped the fabric of the attackers’ clothing, cutting through their flesh at places. They retreated, and you saw that the main door was clean. You helped the man on his feet, he wrapped his arm around your shoulders and you supported him by holding him on his side. You took him out to the courtyard, and approached a corner on the ground, a rather secret part of the bare courtyard. You slowly put him down, allowing him to sit to the ground. He leaned on the rock behind him, his hand staying on his chest, where the weapon burned him. You bent down to face him, lowering yourself to his eye level. You gently lowered his hand from his chest in order to see his wound. He winced as he tried to sit up a little as you gazed upon the wound. It burned his skin, but fortunately it did not look very deep. It probably wouldn’t leave a mark but it needed to be treated immediately.

You grabbed some water, gently pressing it onto the wound. The water started to glow as he winced again, your fingers traced the edges of the burn. You worked silently, making sure to wrap the water around the whole wound. You watched as it sized down and seemed to heal at a great pace.

He looked up when you were done. Now he looked quite relaxed, and his eyes were studying your face. You raised your head as you felt his gaze on you, meeting his ice blue eyes. He softly thanked you.

-Thank you, for the help.

You smiled softly.

-It’s okay.

-How is your arm?

-It does not hurt anymore.

You raised your hand to waterbend, but nothing happened. A pang of worry hit you, and you started to try again and again, not understanding what is happening to your bending abilities. He realized your growing stress and caught your wrist in order to stop you.

-It’s okay, that happens. They were chi blockers, it is temporary, it’ll wear off in a couple of minutes.

You looked somewhat relieved, looking back at him again as he softly released your wrist.

-Your wound is alright, although it will probably take at least three healing sessions. It likely won’t leave a mark. Does it still hurt?

-No, not that much. Thank you again.

He leaned forward in order to stand up. You stood up and offered him a hand. He grabbed your hand, his hands were still cold. He stumbled a little, but got back on his feet. You realized how much taller he is than you once he stood up straight.

-I am Tarrlok by the way

You didn’t realize that you two did not meet formally, the near-death experiences usually tended to make people feel like they have known each other for some time. You smiled as you answered him.

-Katoka, glad to meet you

He returned your smile with a smile of his own. His hand still lingered near his chest, but his gaze stayed on you.

-You are a very powerful bender Katoka, are you new to the city?

-You could say so, yeah

-Then I’ll see you around I guess, considering that you work at the Council as well.

-I’m guessing so.

You smiled as you answered him. You needed to go now, your mind was on Tenzin and you were hoping he was alright as well.

-I need to go now, but I am glad to meet you

-So am I.

He smiled softly as he watched you walk away, his hand still lingering on his chest. You ran up to Tenzin’s bison, thinking he would be there. When you could not see him around, you started to feel anxious. You looked around, trying to see the airbending master, but all you could see was more people getting out of the building after the attack.

The lights seemed to work now, so you went back in. You started walking through the corridors, trying to find Tenzin as soon as possible. You checked the meeting room he went to, but it was empty. The whole building appeared to be deserted, which made sense since everybody was running away.

You saw your own office door, and realized it was open. You looked inside, seeing Tenzin standing there.

-Tenzin.

You rushed to his side, glad he was alright. He faced you upon hearing your voice, his hands grabbed your shoulders in a worried haste.

-Katoka, are you alright?

-I am.

-I came straight to here upon hearing about the attack, you scared me.

-I left the office once the lights went out, and I had to fight some attackers for my way out. I thought you got out of the building as well.

-You had to fight them? Did they hurt you, are you okay?

His eyes quickly scanned through your body, searching for any signs of violence.

-I am alright, nothing happened to me.

-Okay, good. I can’t believe this happened on your first day here.

He dramatically waved his hands, which made you chuckle. He then composed himself again, and placed a gentle hand on your arm, leading you to the door.

-Let’s go back to the air temple.

Chapter Text

(after a couple of days)

You woke up and got ready early in the morning. You got out, only to see Tenzin standing there next to the bison. He smiled as you approached.

-Good morning, ready to go?

-Yeah

You gave him a nod as you climbed on the flying bison.

The journey was quiet, as you both were still sleepy. Once you arrived, Tenzin dropped you to your office, and he went to his own office. Somebody stopped by and gave you a stack of paper, each about a different occasion and signed by different people. You followed the instructions you were given, categorizing and filing accordingly. You were placing the files on the shelves, and you were surrounded by dusty boxes and books. You had 15 minutes left for your break time when you heard a knock on the door. When you heard the knock, you tried to fix your messy hair and clothes.

-Come in

The door slowly opened, and a tall man wearing water tribe clothes stepped in.

-Tarrlok

You said with a slight smile. He smiled as he stepped into the office, closing the door after himself.

-I thought I would drop by, see if your day is any better than the other day.

He stood before you as you leaned against the shelves.

-I mean- I don’t have an army of men attacking me so that’s nice. On the other hand, I am hungry and I can’t wait for my lunch break.

His smile grew wider.

-Ah, of course. But as far as I can see, you are doing quite fine. But, aren’t you a bit overqualified for this job? I feel like you would be more suitable for the police department, honestly Chief Beifong would have adored you.

You smiled at his words.

-Oh, I would have enjoyed that. But I am here on behalf of a friend of mine, so I wouldn’t really complain about this job either.

His expression shifted a bit, curiosity taking over him.

-A friend? Do I know him or her?

You didn’t want to reveal it was Tenzin, Avatar’s son and the only airbending master in the world, that got you this job, it felt like bragging, so you just decided to give vague answers.

-I would say it is highly unlikely, he is a very quiet and composed person.

-Ah, I see. May I ask where you know him, is he from the water tribe as well?

-No, not really. He has connections to the water tribe, but I would say I met him in the city. He is a very nice and kind person.

-Oh, is that so? You sound like you have a crush on him.

Tarrlok said quietly. He had a cheeky expression, he was testing you. You just laughed, not knowing what to say for a second.

-I don’t think that would be your impression if you knew him.

Tarrlok smiled.

-So, is that a no?

You smiled.

-Then I think it’s appropriate for me to ask you out for dinner tonight?

He looked unsure, but grinned anyway. You laughed.

-I would really appreciate it.

-Then, shall we meet at 7 p.m., at the city centre? I know a great place that serves Water Tribe foods.

He said confidently, his smile stayed on his lips.

-It is fine by me. Then, I’ll see you tonight?

You smiled as he spoke.

-See you tonight.

He left the office room, closing the door gently behind his back. You sighed once he got out, still trying to process what just happened. You smiled to yourself, glad that he dropped by

The rest of the day went smoothly, you got everything done in time, and just as you were packing your things and tidying up your room, you heard a knock on your door. You thought it would be Tenzin, and called out for him to come in. Instead, someone else entered the room, holding out a note for you. You grabbed the note as the man left the room, the note was from Tenzin. Apparently he had been called away for something, and he was informing you that a boat was waiting for you at the shore.

You grabbed your jacket and went to the shore. The boat was waiting for you as he said, and you got in. It was a quiet trip to the island, and once you stepped onto the island, you went to your room. The air temple was practically empty, Korra was probably exercising with the Fire Ferrets, Tenzin’s kids were playing in the garden and Pema was sitting out in the garden. You opened your wardrobe, thinking what to wear. You grabbed your dark blue dress, with embroidered edges and gorgeous beads at the borders. You put it on, wore your gauntlets that you always wear, and wore a couple of necklaces and a couple of earrings. Your eyes stayed on the earrings for a while, they were a gift from Kya, your waterbending teacher. You missed her, and hoped to see her soon.

You did a half up half down bun in your hair, your hand traced the two braids you had in your hair, placed behind your ear embellished with shells, beads and cords at their ends. You fixed your bangs, leaving pieces from the sides. You finally put on your boots and got out of your room.

The sky was getting darker, and you didn’t want anyone to know that you were gonna go on a date, so you decided to sneak out. You left a note in your room, saying that you met a friend and you were gonna hang out with them. You sneaked out of your window, and got to the shore. You climbed into the boat, and started waterbending. It usually took ten to fifteen minutes to get to the shore. Once you got there, you tied the boat and walked to the city centre. You sat down on a bench, mindlessly playing with the puddle in front of you, raising waves and bending it to different shapes.

You raised your head when you heard footsteps approaching you. You saw Tarrlok walking up to you, a wide smile on his face. You stood up and walked up to him.

-Hey

-You look gorgeous.

He said as he opened his arms to the sides, giving you space. His eyes gazed upon you, looking at your dress.

You smiled, and thanked him for his praises.

-You don’t look bad yourself.

Your eyes scanned his clothes. He wore a long dark blue coat with embroidered borders, a cream shirt with a blue vest, dark blue trousers and a fancy belt.

-Shall we?

He offered you his arm, and you gently held onto it. He led the way to the restaurant, casually chatting on the way.

-So, how was your day?

-Fine, I finished filing and placing them on the shelves.

-I still think you would be more suitable in a job where you could use your waterbending abilities. You can fight, and you are a good healer. That wound would have taken at least ten healing sessions.

-Oh, I forgot about that. How is your wound, are you feeling better?

-Yeah, it’s almost gone, and there seems to be no mark left.

-I am glad to hear that.

He smiled as he adjusted his arm to close the buttons of his jacket. You looked up.

-It is gonna rain.

He looked up as well.

-Seems like it, yeah. Fortunately, we are used to water.

You smiled.

-So, you won’t tell me about your mysterious friend?

You laughed.

-Are you still thinking about that?

-Well, you seemed like you really didn’t want to talk about him, and you gave evasive answers. Of course I am wondering about him.

-What do you wanna know about him?

-Is he good looking?

You laughed.

-I would say so, yeah.

He looked puzzled, thinking about follow-up questions.

-But you don’t have a crush on him?

-I wouldn’t be here with you if I had a crush on him, would I?

-Guess not, still confusing though. But, it feels like there must be a reason. Are you related to him or something?

-No

You laughed. You wanted to make him shut up about it by somehow telling the truth.

-I mean, he is old.

-I am old!

He said with an offended tone, he waved his hands as if he was defeated.

-No, like- older than you.

You chuckled at his tone, and he smiled to himself. He then turned back to you.

-By the way, I didn’t ask but- you are okay with our age gap, right?

-I don’t really mind, no.

You smiled softly, he let out a breath.

-Okay, that’s nice to know

You heard a thunder strike, you raised your head to the noise, only to see the bright light. Then you started feeling drips of water on your face, it was raining. Tarrlok raised his hand, bending the water droplets and forming a sort of barrier, shielding you from getting wet.

You walked the rest of the way in peaceful silence. As you approached the door, the rain became heavier. Tarrlok held the door as you stepped in, the place was beautiful. Tarrlok led you to a table and you sat down.

-This place is beautiful.

He grinned.

-And it has the tastiest water tribe foods.

Your food arrived, and they smelled delicious. You tasted the food, turning to Tarrlok.

-Wow, they do know how to cook stewed sea prunes.

Tarrlok laughed. It was the first time you heard him laugh, you thought to yourself.

-So, what do you do in the Council?

Tarrlok glanced at you, and answered.

-A minor position. I sit in the office all day and sign some papers.

He smiled cheekily. You were not satisfied with his answer.

-So, like the papers I categorize?

-Pretty much.

He continued on with his food, unbothered.

-Since when are you working at the Council?

-A few years.

He bent some wine, and elegantly poured it to both your glass and his. You took a sip from the wine.

-Are you from the Northern Pole?

-Yeah.

-I know their Chief, Unalaq, a relative of my friend.

-Your friend from the Council?

-No, a different one.

-You have a lot of friends.

-I have good connections I guess.

He smiled, he was enjoying this convo of yours.

-I know Unalaq, he is a very composed man.

-He is, a powerful bender as well. When did you come to the Republic City?

-It’s been a long time, maybe fifteen years.

-Do you visit the North Pole?

-No, not since my mother died.

-Oh, I am sorry to hear that. When…

-I was fifteen.

His gaze dropped to the table. You gently cupped his hand, he raised his head and you smiled softly.

-What about your father?

-He apparently died a couple years after, I don’t know.

-Oh.

-He wasn’t a good man, he wasn’t good to my mother either.

He smiled softly, his gaze still down.

-Well, that was long ago

He raised his head with a smile on his face.

-Now it’s my turn.

You laughed.

-Go ahead, shoot your shot.

-You are from the South Pole

-Yeah

-Were you born there?

-I was, but my mom died when I was still a baby, so my father took me back to the Fire Kingdom. I was raised there till I was six.

-Your father was from the fire nation?

-Yeah, and he is a very good swordsman. He is not a bender, and when he realized I was a waterbender like my mother, he sent me back to the Southern Pole.

-He didn’t come with you?

-No, his whole family is there, so I visit him from time to time, but we mostly communicate through letters.

-I understand, I am sorry about your mother as well.

-It’s fine, it's in the past.

-So who raised you at the Southern Pole?

-Some relatives of my mother, and I was trained by the best waterbenders of the Southern Pole.

-That explains a lot.

He smirked.

-My teacher was my father, it sucked.

-My father was my teacher as well, at least in swordsfight.

-You know how to use a sword as well?

-Yeah, and if you ask me, I am very good at it.

-Oh, believe me I don’t doubt it. I would love to see it one day.

The rest of the evening was beautiful. Everything went smoothly, you enjoyed the conversation and the food. After dinner, he offered to drop you home, but it was not really possible so you suggested walking to the city centre. He agreed and you walked in silence. When you arrived at the city centre, you realized it was empty. In the rain and the dark weather, you thought it was normal.

Tarrlok smiled, one of his hands was gently holding your arm. You smiled.

-I had fun today, thank you so much for everything

-So did I. I am glad I ran into you that day.

-Me too

You smiled and stared into his eyes. His gaze faltered for a second, glancing at your lips. You leaned in, and gently kissed him. His hands grabbed your waist, he leaned in as one of his hands came up to cup your cheek. Your one hand stayed on his chest, the other on his cheek. You slowly pulled back, smiling softly. You saw him blushed and frustrated, with a smile playing on his lips.

-I should probably go now, but I will see you on monday?

-Yeah.

He let you go, trying to compose himself.

-I’ll see you on Monday.

You two went your separate ways. You climbed into the boat, still feeling the blush on your face in the cold weather. But there was one thing neither of you knew yet, you guys were gonna meet way sooner than monday.

Chapter Text

Your next day was pretty dull, spent exercising and chatting. In the evening you were having dinner with Tenzin, his family, and Korra. You sat next to Ikki, quietly listening to Tenzin’s prayer when you heard a voice at the door.

-I’m not interrupting, am I?

You raised your head, only to see Tarrlok standing at the door. You were taken aback, you couldn’t understand what he was doing here. His gaze faltered when he saw you at the table with the avatar and the airbenders but he did not make it obvious.

-This is my home, Tarrlok. We’re about to have dinner.

Said Tenzin as he stood up.

-Good, because I am absolutely famished. Airbenders never turn away a hungry guest, am I right?

-I suppose

Tenzin sat back down, sighing. Tarrlok walked over, glancing at you.

-Oh, you must be the famous Avatar Korra. It is truly an honour.

He bowed a little.

-I am Councilman Tarrlok, representative from the Northern Water Tribe

Your eyebrows raised in interest and shock, but you concealed it. Korra stood up, bowing back to him.

-Nice to meet you.

They both sat down as Ikki talked.

-Why do you have three ponytails, and how come you smell like a lady? You’re weird.

-Ikki

You whispered, playfully poking her with your elbow.

-Well, aren’t you… precocious?

-So,

He turned back to Korra. He explained how he read about Korra’s adventures in the papers, quickly turning the subject to his main reason for his visit.

-Enough with the flattery, Tarrlok. What do you want from Korra?

-Patience Tenzin, I’m getting to that. As you may have heard, I am assembling a task force. I will strike at the heart of the Revolution, and I want you to join me.

-Really?

Korra was surprised at the offer, while Tenzin was rather angry.

-What?

-Join your task force? I can’t.

Korra answered, after considering a second. You could see what Tarrlok was trying to do, and even though you thought it was a good idea to gather a team to attack Amon, you were glad that Korra declared it, and you thought she made the right choice.

-I must admit I am rather surprised, I thought you’d jump at the chance to help me lead the charge against Amon.

-Me too.

Said Tenzin, surprised. Korra explained that she needs to finish her airbending training first, and you smiled at the expression on Tenzin’s face, victory and proudness. Tarrlok tried to persuade her again, but Tenzin interrupted.

-Korra gave you her answer, it’s time for you to go.

-I am not finished, Tenzin.

Tarrlok turned to you, his confident smile returning to his lips.

-Of course I am gonna extend the same offer to you too, Katoka.

You didn’t expect him to address you, and you didn’t know what to do or what to say. You decided to play it cool and not make your former affairs obvious.

-Don’t cross the line, Tarrlok.

Tenzin’s voice was strict and restrained.

-Councilman Tarrlok, I don’t think you could drag Korra into this using me. If you knew her, you would have known that once she makes up her mind, she does not step back.

Tarrlok’s expression did not change at your answer, he still smiled but it was a rather soft one.

-You know that’s not why I am offering you this position.

Tarrlok’s smirk widened, and you could feel everyone’s eyes on you. You were sure Tenzin was looking at you with a suspicious expression, his one eyebrow raised.

-You are a powerful bender Katoka, as you have proved, and I need you on the team.

You did not expect him to go that far and you were caught off-guard, but it did not affect your composed demeanour.

-Thank you for your offer, I will think about it.

You slightly smiled, and Tarrlok returned it with a smile of his own. He quickly stood up, and turned to Korra.

-I am not giving up on you just yet. You’ll be hearing from me soon, it has been a pleasure, Avatar Korra.

He bowed slightly, and turned to you once again.

-May I speak with you outside for a second?

This caught you off-guard, and you were confused. Tarrlok walked up to the door, waiting just outside the room. Ikki called behind his back.

-Bye bye ponytail man.

This earned a “hmph” from Tarrlok, and this made you laugh. You slowly stood up, accidentally making eye contact with Tenzin. He seemed like he was questioning everything between you and Tarrlok, and you knew that he’ll have a ton of questions for you. You stood up, fixed your clothes and walked out of the room. Tarrlok walked quietly next to you, his hands locked behind his back. Once you got out to the garden, you felt a gentle hand on your back, guiding you towards the shore. Once you got to the shore, he sighed.

-So your mysterious friend was Tenzin.

He covered his face with his hand as you laughed.

-Sorry about it, but it seems like I am not the only person to keep secrets, right Councilman Tarrlok, representative of the Northern Tribe?

-Well, if I told you that, it would be like bragging.

-And what do you think mentioning Tenzin, Avatar Aang’s son and the last airbending master in the world, would be like? And mentioning Korra? Literally the Avatar herself?

-Okay, I get it, but how did I not think of it?

He sighed once again, his eyes were on the water.

-Honestly I thought you would have guessed it.

-You were trained by Kya and Katara, that explains your incredible bending abilities.

-How do you know that?

You turned to him with a smile, you did not expect that.

-Well, I do read the papers. They mentioned you awfully a lot, even though they left out the name.

-I guess being Avatar’s friend causes that.

He laughed to himself, you turned to him.

-What?

-Nothing, just- I thought I would see you on Monday and look at us now. Yesterday feels like a dream.

-Yeah.

You smiled to yourself, your eyes on water.

-Anyways,

Tarrlok’s voice made you look up to him.

-I should better be going, before Tenzin kicks me out of the island himself.

He leaned in a bit, probably wanting to plant a kiss on your cheek.

-Don’t.

You said, making him stop midway and looking confused.

-I, I’m sorry, is there a problem? Did I do something wrong?

-No, no it’s not that. It’s just- Tenzin is probably watching us from the window.

Tarrlok raised his brow, slowly and nonchalantly turning towards the building.

-Yep, he looks at me like an eagle looking at its prey.

-Yeah, and I don’t think him finding out about this is convenient right now.

-Yeah, no I get it. Then, I’ll see you soon I guess? Consider joining the team, I would love to see you there.

He smiled.

-I will, but right now the only thing I can think of is the fucking interrogation I will probably go through once I step inside.

-Oh, yeah good luck with that.

He laughed cheekily.

-I will just run off, then.

-Yeah, see you later.

You slightly bowed, and he did the same in return. You returned back to the air temple, scared of Tenzin’s questions. When you got back in, they were still sitting at the table, their questioning eyes scanned you. You made eye contact with Korra, and she smiled softly. You returned her smile.

You knew Tenzin was dying inside to ask you about Tarrlok, but he was both scared of your answer, and he didn’t know how to in front of everyone. So, he just made eye contact with you, signalling you to come out to talk to him. When Pema saw Tenzin and you standing up again, she spoke up.

-What is you Councilmen’s problem with her? Let her eat her food in peace.

Tenzin was caught off-guard.

-I, it’s not my fault!

You smiled.

-It’s okay.

You followed Tenzin’s steps outside, and when he stopped, you stopped next to him. You were in the front yard, standing and staring ahead. He sighed.

-I didn’t know you were acquainted with Tarrlok.

-Well, I don’t really know him, I just saved his life.

-You- What?!

Tenzin turned to face you with shock.

-When did this happen?

-On my first day at the Council, when there was an attack. The equalists forced an electric weapon on him which burned his skin, I helped him outside and healed the wound.

-That’s how you met him?

-Yeah.

-But he seemed to know you pretty well.

-He stopped once to thank me a couple of days ago in my office, but he had no idea who I was, he didn’t know that I knew you and Korra. And I didn’t know he was a Councilman, or that he was the representative of the Northern Pole.

-He didn’t tell you that?

-No.

-I thought he would brag about that.

-No, he didn’t mention it at all. I thought he was just another person who worked in an office. I only knew that he was a waterbender.

-Why did he call you outside?

-He was surprised that I was Korra’s friend and I was acquainted with you. Apparently he read about me in the papers but my name was not mentioned, and he asked about it.

-That’s it?

-Yeah.

-Why did he emphasize that you were a powerful bender and you proved it?

-That day the equalists attacked, I fought with two guys and apparently he saw me fighting. Then while I was fighting, he came to help and got wounded as I told you.

Tenzin stayed quiet for a second.

-Are you going to join his team?

-I honestly don’t know. I am glad Korra did the right thing, but I don’t know what would be the right choice for me. If you have any advice to give, I would be glad to hear about them.

You raised your head to look up to him, he looked down at you.

-No, I don’t. I trust you with your decisions, Katoka. If you ask me I’d say don’t do it because I don’t want you to get hurt and I don’t trust Tarrlok. But, this would be from a prejudiced point of view, considering my former interactions with Tarrlok. You must decide for yourself.

You smiled.

-Thanks, Tenzin. For your honesty. And if the interrogation is done, can I go now?

You teased.

-Yeah, I’m done for now.

-Before returning, I wanna ask you something. Is there a specific reason why you don’t trust Tarrlok?

-He is a very treacherous man, and he would do anything for power. He is untrustable, and if I were you, I’d be careful with him, Katoka.

-I’ll keep it in mind, thank you.

You smiled again and headed back inside.

Chapter Text

A couple of days went by, and Tarrlok kept trying to persuade the avatar. His gifts kept getting bigger and bigger, and his efforts made you laugh. You knew that this would not persuade Korra, it would even make her more sure about her decision. You still went to work as you did before, and Tarrlok visited your office everyday to see you. His visits became more frequent, and they got longer and longer each day.

One thing you appreciated was that he never asked you to persuade Korra. Perhaps he knew you wouldn’t do it, or perhaps he did not want to pull you in this. Either way, you were happy with it.

You were sitting at the couch in your room, watching outside while being buried in your thoughts. You saw the delivery guy walking up to the air temple again, Tarrlok must have sent more gifts to Korra.

A knock on your door got you out of your thoughts. You looked up, calling the person at the door to come in. Tenzin slowly opened the door, a dissatisfied expression on his face. He was holding a fancy package and a bouquet with his one hand.

-Master Tenzin.

You bowed slightly. He bowed as well, but he didn’t really smile.

-Katoka.

He extended the package and the flowers to you.

-I believe this is yours.

-Mine?

You grabbed the package and the bouquet. The package was a dark blue box with patterns engraved on it, closed with a silver ribbon. A letter was inserted between the box and the ribbon, along with some dried flowers. The bouquet was gorgeous, with navy blue flowers.

-What did I do to deserve these?

-I guess you have to ask that to Tarrlok.

You cursed under your breath for not recognizing it. What was he even thinking? That was why Tenzin was grumpier than usual.

-Oh, he is probably trying to bribe me for his team as well. But- how did you get these?

-I saw the man outside and he said these were for you, so I just brought them.

-Ah, I see. You interrogated him as well?

-What, no. What do you mean “as well”? I didn’t interrogate you?

-Yeah, you’re right. Cause you were just asking questions non-stop and questioning things, definitely not an interrogation.

He sighed as you teased.

-Katoka, I just want you to be careful with Tarrlok, he is not trustable.

-Don’t worry Tenzin, I am careful, about everyone. Thank you for worrying about me, but I will be alright.

You reassuringly smiled, and he seemed satisfied enough with it. He softly smiled and left the room.

You put down the bouquet and the package, grabbing the letter first and sitting down. You opened the letter and started reading it.

For Katoka,

I know you are probably furious that I sent you this gift, but I don’t think it will draw that much attention since I am sending Korra gifts as well. I’ve wanted to give you this for a couple days now, but never had the chance for it or it was not the right moment. I didn’t send you this to bribe you to become a part of my team, even though I still want you there. Anyways, I hope you like the gift, and I hope you are not angry with me. I’ll see you soon.

With my best regards, Tarrlok

You gently pulled the ribbon in order to unravel the bow, and after you freed the package from its gorgeous restraints, you grabbed the cover and slowly removed it. There was another fancy box, with a beautiful leather journal next to it. You grabbed the journal, your fingers traced its smooth surface. You unravelled its thread and opened the first page, where you saw a tiny poem.

The fountains mingle
with the river
And the rivers
with the ocean;
The winds of heaven
mix for ever
With a sweet emotion;

Why not I with thine?

Your hand traced the black ink on the page, you couldn’t believe him. You never expected him to write a poem, especially a love poem. You stared at the page for some time, then came back to reality, realizing you did not open the other box yet.

You gently grabbed it, running your hand over it. You opened it, and saw a pair of gorgeous moon stone earrings. You took them out of the box, and you realized the engravings on them. Traditional water tribe patterns were engraved on them, and it was done by waterbending. You also saw a necklace in the box, a polished abalone shell necklace. You put them back into the box, and stood up. You grabbed a vase, filled it with some water by waterbending, and placed the flowers in it. You looked outside, Korra was talking to Bolin. You were glad that Tenzin was not in sight. You sat back down, watching Bolin’s unsuccessful attempts at flirting with Korra. You knew she liked Mako, your late nights talks with Korra were concerned with him lately.

Hours later, you were sitting in the garden with Korra when Tarrlok’s assistant approached you guys again. Korra told him that she won’t join Tarrlok’s team no matter how many gifts he sends her.

-It’s not a gift, it’s an invitation.

You stood up as well.

-To what?

The assistant gave you and Korra fancy invitations, written by hand. He then explained that Tarrlok will be throwing a gala in Avatar’s honour.

You two talked it with Tenzin, and decided that the right thing to do is to attend the gala, considering Tenzin’s position at the council. You wore a traditional water tribe dress, and wore the earrings Tarrlok gifted you. You arrived at the gala, it was very fancy. You smiled to yourself as Tenzin made his speech about keeping your guard up.

-So glad you could make it, Avatar Korra. If you’ll excuse us, the city awaits its hero.

He quickly glanced at you, but he was cautious, probably because of Tenzin standing right next to you. He slightly bowed and greeted you.

-Katoka.

-Councilman Tarrlok. I would like to thank you for your offer again, and I can gladly let you know that I am accepting your offer to join your team.

He smiled genuinely.

-I am glad to hear that, and I can promise you that you won’t regret it.

Tenzin was unaware of your decision as well, but you thought that the best way to let him know was to make this in front of him. You could feel the tense air that surrounded him, but thanks to Meelo, he got distracted. As Tenzin went to check on Meelo, Tarrlok gently grabbed your hand and pulled you closer.

-I am glad to see you again.

A cheeky smile played on his lips.

He led you and Korra into the crowd, introducing Hiroshi Sato. He then called out to Chief Beifong, and after her conversation with Korra, he introduced you.

-Chief Beifong, this is Katoka. She is a powerful waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe, and a friend of the Avatar. She fought against the Equalists when they attacked the council, and also saved me that day. She is currently working at the Council at an office job, but I thought she would be more suitable for your area of expertise.

You smiled at the impressive commander and bowed a little.

-I am glad to meet you, Chief Beifong.

She smiled and bowed in return.

-So am I. It’s quite impressive, if Councilman Tarrlok is being truly honest.

-He is just being kind.

-I am being honest, and if you have any openings, I can guarantee that she is the best waterbender you can find.

His grin widened. Chief Beifong looked down at you.

-Well, if that’s the case, I’ll keep you in my mind Katoka.

She bowed as she left.

You saw Korra talking to Mako and Bolin, and you felt a gentle hand on your arm. Tarrlok guided you out to the garden with a soft smile, where there was no music or noise.

Once you were out of view and alone in the garden, he pulled you into a hug. You smiled as you wrapped your arms around his neck, and he burried his face in your hair. He finally pulled back after a long moment.

-I missed you so much.

His hands were still on your arms and your hands were on the collar of his coat.

-I missed you too.

You smiled softly.

-You look beautiful, and I hope you liked the gifts I sent you.

He stated as he looked at the earrings you were wearing.

-I loved them, although Tenzin was not very happy.

-Tenzin?

He raised one brow with curiosity.

-Yeah, he brought the gifts to my room, apparently he ran into the delivery guy.

-I especially told him to give them directly to you without attracting Tenzin’s attention.

He pressed his hand to his face, you laughed.

-It’s fine, Tenzin was just grumpy, which is his usual self so it’s okay.

He smiled at the sound of your laugh.

-By the way, thank you for what you did there. It was very nice of you.

-Ah, don’t even mention it. You deserve better than an office job.

His smile widened.

-And I am glad that you decided to be on the team.

You looked into his eyes with a soft smile, and he leaned in and kissed you. His one hand stayed on your cheek, the other on your waist. His hands were cold, even colder than the chilly evening weather.

He wrapped his arm around your shoulders as you shivered from the cold and led you to the door.

-Let’s go inside, before they realize we are gone.

Once you were inside, you spotted Tenzin and approached him as Tarrlok went upstairs. Tenzin smiled as he saw you.

-So, you accepted Tarrlok’s offer?

You smiled.

-Do you think I did the right thing?

You asked with uncertainty.

-I don’t know.

Answered Tenzin.

-But maybe it would help you prove yourself, Tarrlok was right about one thing: you are overqualified for an office job.

-Wait- How did you-

-I talked to Chief Beifong, and made sure to give in a good reference for you.

-Thank you Tenzin

You smiled softly at his kind act.

-Also, you look very fancy tonight.

-Ah, thank you. Just some old clothes.

He waved his hand, he was not used to getting compliments and he would get frustrated really easily, which entertained you.

Your conversation with him was interrupted when you heard the crowd turn to the staircase. You saw Tarrlok come downstairs with Korra and realized his plan. You knew Korra would get frustrated with the cameras and the microphones, and apparently he was aware of this as well.

As Korra accepted to join Tarrlok’s task force, Tenzin looked down, defeated. You hoped that this would be the right path for Korra, even though you thought otherwise.

Chapter Text

It was nighttime, and an unpeaceful silence lingered in the air. You could feel Korra’s anxiety growing, but there was nothing you could do. You just stood behind her, putting your hand on her shoulder to ease her stress. She briefly looked up at you and smiled, which you returned with a smile of your own.

-My fellow task force deputies,

Tarrlok’s voice tore away the silence.

-Tonight we will execute a raid on an underground chi-blocker training camp located in the Dragon Flats Borough.

He explained the plan. The team got onto the vehicles and arrived at the address. You got down, crouching next to Korra. You grabbed some water like the others, ready to attack.

With Tarrlok’s signal, you attacked the chi-blocker camp. You broke in, and started attacking the chi-blockers.

-I am going with these two.

You heard Korra declare. You wanted to look after her, but you didn’t want to leave Tarrlok alone. You looked up at him, signalling you’ll be going with Korra and he nodded with a smile. You stalked Korra, making sure the area was clear. You heard her fall and groan and you started running to her direction. When you got there, the chi-blockers were attacking her. You smashed one of them to the ground, turning the water into ice. You were not fast enough for the second one, but you saw him getting pinned to the wall with ice.

-Nice timing. Thanks Tarrlok.

Korra said as you turned to look back, seeing Tarrlok smiling. You smiled back, realizing he followed you two.

-We make a good team.

After the raid, you were standing between Tarrlok and Korra for the pictures, relieved that everything went smoothly and no one got hurt.

 

It was the next day, and you were standing in the back with Korra as Tarrlok delivered his speech. With a question about Amon, Korra approached the microphone to answer.

-Amon, I challange you to a duel. No task force, no chi-blockers, just the two of us.

As you heard her words, your heart dropped. You worriedly shot a glance at Tarrlok, and he was quite surprised as well. As Korra stormed out of the conference room, you and Tarrlok turned to follow her steps. You turned to Tarrlok.

-There is no way we are gonna let her be alone with Amon.

-She seems to have made up her mind.

-Tarrlok, that is way too dangerous.

Tarrlok remained quiet, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

 

You arrived at the shore, where Korra was preparing the boat. You tried persuading her but you knew her way too well, and you knew that she wouldn’t change her mind. You looked up as Tenzin landed, hoping his words would perhaps influence her decision.

-Korra, this is madness.

You watched as Korra harshly answered him.

-This is all your doing.

Tenzin said, facing Tarrlok. You looked up at the two men.

-I tried to talk her out of it too, but she’s made up her mind.

Tarrlok said, trying to calm down the Airbending Master.

-Tenzin,

He turned to you upon hearing your voice.

-I don’t think we can persuade her, the only efficient thing we can do right now is to make sure she will be safe.

He nodded slowly, knowing that you tried to talk her out of it as well.

-We’ll be watching the island closely. If anything goes wrong, I have a fleet of police airships ready to swoop down.

Explained Tarrlok, and Tenzin replied by grumbling.

You felt uneasy, you didn’t trust Amon and you thought it was a stupid idea to even allow Korra to do this. You tried your best, but she kindly declined your attempts at persuading her. Tarrlok’s hand lingered near yours, possibly trying to calm you down, even though it was not working. You sighed as you watched Korra’s boat arriving at the island.

You were waiting for at least half an hour now, and the stressful silence continued to linger around. You couldn’t wait any longer and you broke the silence.

-Tenzin, I think we should go and make sure she is okay.

You knew Tarrlok wouldn’t like it, but you didn’t care, you were not gonna stand there and wait for her defeat.

Tenzin turned to you.

-I think so, too. There is no other boat, though.

-It’s fine, I can waterbend.

Tenzin nodded as he opened his glider staff.

-Don’t wait for me once you get there, go find Korra. I’ll find you when I reach the island.

You told Tenzin. He nodded to your words.

-I’ll come with you.

Tarrlok confidently stated as he followed you. You turned and stopped him.

-No, I think you should stay with the team and the police. There should be someone that will stay with them, we’ll be fine.

He looked at you, concerned. He looked at Tenzin, then back at you and nodded slowly.

-Alright. Be careful.

He said quietly as he gathered the team to leave. You looked at Tenzin, he nodded and you responded to his signal. You jumped into the water, waterbending your way through to the island. Once you got onto the island, you looked around. You couldn’t see Tenzin so you thought he had already arrived on the island. You heard some noises and carefully approached them. As you saw Tenzin and Korra on the ground, you ran towards them. Korra was sobbing, and Tenzin softly smiled at you, making you feel a bit relieved.

You sat on the ground, in front of them and waited for Korra to calm down a bit. Once her sobs ceased, she looked up and saw you. You smiled softly, and held her hands.

-Are you okay?

-I- I am.

She managed to say.

-I am sorry.

-There is nothing to apologize for, I am glad you are okay.

You hugged her and helped her stand up. Tenzin was watching you two with a relieved smile. You three approached the boat and sat down. You waterbent till you reached the air temple. Once you got on shore, you and Korra wished Tenzin a goodnight and headed to your rooms. You turned to Korra once you were in front of the doors of your rooms.

-Is there anything I can do for you?

-No, you have done more than enough.

She smiled softly.

-Thank you, Katoka.

You smiled in return, even though you were still concerned for her.

-If you would need anything, or if you’d just like to talk, you are always welcome to knock on my door.

She smiled and you hugged her one more time before she headed to her room. Then you wished her goodnight and headed to your room.

After a couple of minutes, you heard a knock on your door.

-Come in.

Tenzin opened the door and stepped in.

-Ah, Master Tenzin.

You bowed slightly.

-You always enter when I least expect you.

You smiled.

-I am sorry for bothering you at this late hour, were you available?

-Yeah, I just thought you were Korra, it’s fine. Is everything alright?

-Yeah

He said quietly.

-I know it was a long, tiring day for you but I just wanted to talk to you about Korra.

You smiled and invited him to the seat across yours. He approached you and sat down.

-Were you able to talk to her, what did she say?

-I’m afraid she did not say much. I asked her if there is anything I can do, and she just thanked me. I told her that she was welcome to come and talk to me anytime she wanted, and then we headed to our rooms.

Tenzin sighed.

-You know her much better than I do. Do you think she is alright?

-I think she is anxious and scared of Amon, which is totally normal considering what she went through. The best thing we could do for her now is to make her feel safe, and look after her.

-It’s all Tarrlok’s fault.

Tenzin said with a huff. You thought Tarrlok had an influence on Korra’s decision but it wasn’t directly his fault.

-Tenzin, he tried to persuade Korra as well, he looked after both of us. Even if he had an influence on her decision, I don’t think he did it consciously. You are being way too harsh on him.

Tenzin sighed again.

-Well, he should have listened to me.

You smiled.

-Don’t worry, tomorrow I’ll talk to Korra and see if she wants to quit the team. I think the first step at keeping her safe would be quitting the task force. It is a pity though, I love fighting next to her.

Tenzin smiled, and stood up.

-Okay, update me tomorrow as well. Now, I shouldn’t keep you up, it was a long tiring day for you.

He opened the door and stepped out.

-Goodnight Katoka, rest well.

-Goodnight Master Tenzin.

And with that, he gently closed the door and left you to rest.

Chapter Text

You woke up early the next morning. You were not able to sleep very well since you weren’t able to go to bed early. Every part of your body ached as you got out of bed, and you recalled the events that happened the previous night. Your brain wondered off to Korra and what she went through. Even the thought of it made you shiver. You finally found the strength to stand up and get ready for the day. You had to go to work, and the idea of seeing Tarrlok made it a bit bearable. You dressed up and just as you were gonna leave the room, you heard a knock.

-Come in.

Korra opened the door, peeking her head through.

-I didn’t wake you up, did I?

-No, I was already awake, don’t worry. Why don’t you come in?

She got in the room and closed the door behind. She was dressed up already, and she looked better than last night. She casually leaned on the wall as she spoke.

-I thought about the Task Force yesterday, and I decided to leave the team.

You smiled softly.

-I think you made the right choice, I totally understand you.

She smiled.

-You are gonna go to work, right?

-Yeah.

-Well, can you tell Tarrlok that I decided to leave the team? I really don’t wanna face him.

She asked kinda shyly. You laughed.

-Okay, I got you.

You approached her a bit.

-And how are you feeling?

-I am better. I will practice with the Fire Ferrets today. We have the tournament coming up.

-Ooh, maybe we could come and watch it.

You smiled as you both got out of the room and headed to breakfast. Everyone was awake except the kids, so it was rather quiet. After breakfast, Tenzin had some business in the city so he accompanied you to the city center. Just as you were gonna part ways, you turned to him.

-Oh, Tenzin.

He looked down at you.

-I talked to Korra in the morning, she said she decided to leave the Task Force.

-Well, I am glad to hear it, at least she’ll be safe. Did she declare that to Councilman Tarrlok?

-She kinda pushed that responsibility on me, I’ll notify him once I get there.

Tenzin did not look satisfied. but he did not say anything.

-Will you still be on the team?

-I think so, yeah. I mean, the first mission was a success, and as you know, this might help me get a job at the police department.

-You know I could just talk to Lin and persuade her to take you on the job? You don’t have to do this really.

-Well, I want to deserve it. I wouldn’t like to get a job I got by doing nothing.

-Apparently Tarrlok was right about one thing, Lin would really like you and your morals.

You smiled and bid him goodbye as you parted ways. You stopped by your office first and dropped your things as a dark shadow appeared at the door.

-Well miss, you are late for work.

You turned to the tall figure only to see Tarrlok standing at the door, smirking. You smiled.

-Looks like someone has been waiting for me.

He got into the room and gently closed the door behind him. He approached and gave you a hug, then pulled away.

-I was indeed waiting for you. How was last night, what happened?

-Oh, you were not notified?

-Well the officers only announced that all three of you were safe, and you arrived at the Air Temple.

-Yeah, Tenzin and I found Korra on the island. Apparently Amon set an ambush, but he did not take her bending away. Korra was pretty afraid and traumatized, and it was late when we arrived at the Air Temple. I think Tenzin just talked to the officers but I really don’t know about that part, I was with Korra.

-I am sad to hear that. Is she alright now?

-She seemed better in the morning. Actually I was gonna drop by your office but you acted first. Korra decided to leave the Task Force, and wanted me to let you know.

Tarrlok was surprised for a second, but then he pulled himself together.

-Leave the team? Why?

-Tarrlok I really don’t think it is good for her to be the center of attention right now. She should be safe, and away from Amon. The events last night really affected her, and I think she needs some time to heal.

Tarrlok nodded, and raised one eyebrow.

-You are not leaving as well, right?

-No, not yet.

You smiled, and he returned your smile.

-Well I am glad she is at least feeling better.

He quickly checked the clock on the wall.

-I should probably leave you to do your job now, but I’ll drop by from time to time.

You laughed and he planted a kiss on your cheek before heading out. You got on with your job, arranging the paperwork.

It was almost six o’clock, and you were almost done with your work. You gathered all the files together and placed them on the shelves, concentrated on your work. Then you heard a knock on your door.

-Come in.

A man stepped in, handing you a file.

-Hello, I was handed this file to be taken to Councilman Tarrlok but apparently he asked for everyone's signature who was on the Task Force and your signature was missing. I am running a bit late so would you mind taking this to him after signing it.

-Oh, okay, of course.

-Thank you.

With that, the man was out. You opened the file, it was sectioned according to missions and attendants. You signed the place next to your name on the first mission. You noticed the note on the corner of the page. “All participants should hand in their resumes and files”. You found yours at the bottom of the shelf, and placed it on the table in order to not forget it. Then you turned the page on the file, the next page was titled as “Mission Two: Amon’s Meeting”. You decided to ask it to Tarrlok since you were not notified about it. You closed the cover and grabbed both files. You directly headed to his office, gently knocking on the door.

-Come in.

You slowly opened the door, Tarrlok was sitting on his desk reading some papers. He raised his head and looked at the door, a smile creeping to his face upon seeing you. He stood up as you approached him.

-I was told to hand in these.

You smile and hand him the files. He grabs your file first, and briefly goes through it. While checking it, he talks to you.

-How was your day?

-It was normal, nothing really happened. But I would like to ask you about the second mission that is on the file.

He looked at you as you talked. He then closed your file and placed it on his desk. He bent forward as he reached for the Task Force file, and pulled the file to see it better. His eyes landed back on you and he smiled.

-Yeah, we planned out a second mission. This time we’ll sneak into one of Amon’s secret meetings.

Once he finished, he opened the first page of the file, still leaning forward.

-How are you planning to sneak in an entire team to a secret meeting?

-I am not.

His eyes were still on the file when he answered, he then raised his head with a mischievous smile.

-I am planning on sneaking in just a few people.

His eyes returned back to the file.

-You didn’t sign the second mission, are you not attending?

-It’s not that, I just wanted to ask you about it first.

His smile grew wider. He stood up straight, and approached you.

-So, I have an offer for you.

You looked at him puzzled.

-For what?

He chuckled a bit.

-My plan is to sneak into the meeting myself, and take a partner with me.

He grinned.

-This role is preserved for you if you are willing to accept it.

You smiled.

-For me? You could take a police officer, that would be probably safer.

-Not very likely.

He stepped closer.

-We wouldn’t attract that much attention if we went together, people would just think we are a nonbender couple from the Water Tribe. Also, in any case, you are able to fight better than most of the people on the Task Force.

He stepped in even more closer, now he was towering over you.

-But of course there is no pressure if you wouldn’t like to do it, I would understand it.

You smiled as you looked up to him, tilting your head to the side.

-I would be honoured.

You answered half teasingly. He grinned as he stepped back to the desk. You walked up and grabbed the file, signing the second sheet as well.

-When will the mission start?

-Tonight, at eight p.m. The team will wait for you at the shore.

-Alright, but I have one question. Won’t we get recognized? You are the Councilman, there is no way they won’t recognize you. Plus, we had many pictures in the papers because of the first mission.

-Oh, we got that covered. They prepared disguises.

You raised one eyebrow.

-Disguises? Will it work?

He didn’t answer, he just grinned.

 

Hours later, you were ready on the shore when the team’s vehicle approached. You got in and you were handed a very traditional Water Tribe dress, along with some Water Tribe accessories.

The vehicle drove to the police station, where you met the other members of the team. You were led to an office where you changed your clothes and wore the accessories. You stepped out of the office once you were ready, and started looking around for the others. Lin Beifong saw you and approached you, handing you a foldable dagger.

-This is yours.

You looked at the dagger in your hands.

-Be careful with it, will you?

She smiled slightly.

-Thank you Chief Beifong.

-Don’t tell Tenzin I handed you this, or else we’ll have a problem.

She went her way as you smiled and attached the little dagger to your belt. You approached the voices and found the team members around a table. Tarrlok was explaining where everyone should be situated and what they should do in an event of emergency. He was wearing a long traditional Water Tribe coat, with embroidered edges and fur. His hair was done half up half down. He had a little bun and some braids underneath it, his hair was embellished with traditional accessories. The n
bang section of his hair fell to his face, making him unrecognizable. He gazed at you once you entered.

Once he explained everything thoroughly, the team left the room, leaving two of you alone.

-You look gorgeous.

His eyes scanned you, taking in your clothes and accessories. You smiled as you gazed at his hair.

-I love your hair.

He giggled and blushed. He unconsciously pulled his bangs down, trying to straighten them.

-So, what do you think? Ain’t it a good disguise? We look like a couple of normal Water Tribe people, no one will spot us.

-I guess you are right, they won’t suspect s thing.

-Well,

His voice dropped a bit as his hand went to his pocket. He approached you and stood right in front of you.

-If you are okay with it, I thought looking like a couple would attract less attention, and for that, one thing is missing.

He slipped out a betrothal necklace out of his pocket, and shyly presented it to you.

-Tarrlok, did you-

You didn’t know what to say, you only smiled and gently grabbed the necklace from his hand. He clasped his hands in his back, waiting for your response. Your fingers traced the beautiful design on the necklace.

-You made this?

He nodded his head, it was restrained and controlled. You smiled.

-It looks amazing, and no, I wouldn’t mind.

You felt him relax after your answer. He brought his hands to the necklace again, gently grabbing it.

-Then may I?

You smiled and grabbed your hair out of the way to allow him to put it on you.

His gentle fingers brushed against your neck, slowly tying the ribbon.

Once he was done, he stood up next to you, looking at the mirror in front of you.

-We do look like some random nonbender Water Tribe people.

You giggled. Someone from the team let you know that they were getting on the vehicles, so you went ahead and followed them outside.